Landskrona BoIS Find Timely Spark, Stun Varbergs in Hard-Fought Superettan Contest

LANDSKRONA, Sweden — On a crisp October evening at the storied Landskrona Idrottsplats, a campaign marked by frustration found a sudden pulse of hope for the home side. Landskrona BoIS, mired in the lower half of the Superettan table and having scored just twice in their previous five games, found inspiration—and perhaps new life—in a 2-1 comeback win over playoff-chasing Varbergs BoIS FC.

The match, defined by its urgency and a crowd eager for something to cheer, turned dramatically in the second half when Markus Björkqvist, a figure of tireless energy all night, snatched the decisive goal in the 78th minute. Landskrona’s victory did more than spoil Varbergs’ aspirations of keeping pace atop the Superettan; it served notice that this side, beleaguered though it may have been, remains capable of redrawing the narrative of its season.

A Flurry of First-Half Goals Sets the Stage

The opening half was played at a frenetic pace, reflecting both squads’ need for a result. Landskrona, winless in four and under pressure to banish the ghosts of consecutive defeats, pressed high from the outset. Yet it was the visitors—Varbergs BoIS FC, carrying an unbeaten run of five—who struck first.

In the 27th minute, Laorent Shabani showcased why he has become Varbergs’ most consistently dangerous threat. Darting into space between the lines, he collected a clever layoff at the top of the area and, with a snap finish low to the far post, put Varbergs ahead. For a moment, it felt like another test Landskrona might fail.

But the hosts answered just four minutes later. Christian Stark, who had looked isolated at times in the preceding matches, found himself in the right place after a sweeping counter. A deft cross from Alexander Tkacz on the right wing curled tantalizingly through the penalty area. Stark met it with a surging run and lashed a clinical shot past Varbergs keeper Jonathan Rasheed to level the score at 1-1. The goal—the club’s first in over 270 minutes of league football—unshackled Landskrona, and the home crowd responded in full voice.

Björkqvist’s Winner Lifts the Lid

After a tempo-shifting halftime, both teams returned with renewed aggression, each aware of the match’s significance. Varbergs, seeking a fifth win in seven games to cement their place in the promotion places, pressed Landskrona’s back line with intent. Yet, time and again, the hosts absorbed the pressure, displaying a defensive resolve missing in recent defeats to Orgryte and Utsikten.

The turning point arrived in the 78th minute. Pressing high, Landskrona forced a turnover deep in Varbergs territory. The ball ricocheted to Björkqvist, who pivoted sharply to shed his marker and, with a measured strike from the edge of the area, dispatched the ball inside the near post. Rasheed, screened by the scrum, could only watch as the stadium erupted. For Björkqvist, a player whose industry has often gone unrewarded, the moment felt overdue.

Varbergs threw men forward in search of a late equalizer, but the hosts—emboldened by their lead—stood firm, seeing out the closing stages with a blend of grit and game management that has too often eluded them this fall.

Context and Consequences in the Standings

Landskrona’s win halts a slide that had seen them take just two points from their previous four matches, a period during which offensive ideas seemed to vanish and confidence waned. Entering Monday, the side sat 10th and perilously close to the relegation zone. The victory, their ninth of the campaign, propels them to 34 points from 25 matches, solidifying ninth spot and creating a vital cushion with five rounds remaining.

Varbergs, meanwhile, arrived as the in-form side in Superettan, having scored 14 goals in their last five and building a reputation for late-game heroics. Tonight, their familiar formula—early initiative, relentless attacking—yielded only frustration. Still perched fifth on 41 points, Varbergs retain a place in the promotion reckoning, but this defeat, their first since late August, adds unwelcome pressure as the campaign’s final weeks approach.

The two clubs, whose head-to-head encounters have typically favored Varbergs in recent seasons, reversed roles in dramatic fashion. Landskrona’s performance, built on resilience and opportunism, was as much a measure of pride as it was points.

Outlook: Stakes Heighten for Both Sides

For Landskrona, Monday’s triumph amounts to more than a well-earned three points; it offers tangible evidence that this squad is still fighting, still relevant, and capable of shaping its own fate. With fixtures against promotion hopefuls and relegation candidates alike looming, every point will matter.

Varbergs, by contrast, now face a moment of reckoning. Their ascent up the table over recent months has owed much to tight wins and a surging attack. Rebounding from a rare setback will test both their mentality and depth as they look to reignite their bid for a Superettan playoff berth.

On a night when autumn’s chill swept through Landskrona, it was the hosts who found warmth and momentum—reminders that, even as the season narrows, nothing in Swedish football is settled until the final whistle.